Teaching

Kari is an inspiring teacher. Her interactive techniques in the class are motivating, fun and informative. Using Readers Theatre, she introduced me to a wide variety of children’s literature through a diverse set of activities that I still use in my classroom today. I love the way Kari explores literature through a mixture of subjects – art, drama, music. I try to teach my students to view literature in the same dynamic way that Kari taught me to.

Adrienne Stewardson, Grade 7 teacher, Vancouver

I have had the absolute pleasure of having Kari-Lynn Winters as an instructor for a Language and Literacy Education course at the University of British Columbia. She has been an inspiration to me, completely changing my own perception on the importance of literacy and teaching me to discover the “power of words”.

Kari has a very strong belief in an arts-integrated approach for literacy and has introduced to us many different multi-modal strategies, which would keep any class activity engaged, creative, and lively, just as her class is.

Always respectful, encouraging, and thoughtful, Kari has gone above and beyond what any university instructor would be expected to do and has reached out to every single student in our class. I feel very fortunate to have been part of Kari’s class and truly feel that I will carry everything that I have learned from her throughout my own professional career in the future.

Kay Shinada, UBC, Vancouver

Author visits / workshops

Kari Winters is an outstanding author whose ideas really resonate with children, making children’s learning feel relevant and purposeful to them. Whether she is writing about the struggle for writing topics in Jeffrey and Sloth, or giving children an easy way to remember math concepts through rhythmic poems in aRHYTHMetic, she relates to students and makes them feel that they too can accomplish their dreams one day.

Amanda Vine, Grade 2 Teacher, Clemens Mill Public School, Cambridge

From the moment Kari-Lynn took the floor, she didn’t disappoint. She captivated the minds and ears of both the preschool-to-primary children and their parents with ease, taking us from one imaginative setting to the next through songs, finger plays and puppets. She showed great intuition – she always seemed to know just when the children needed to stand up and move around or needed more visual stimulation or interaction, which greatly helped to keep the children engaged and focused. And her quick wit and welcoming nature allowed her to quickly and calmly respond to all the incessant questions/comments thrown at her from the very inquisitive audience.

Mary Jo Wagner, Freelance writer, editor, media consultant, Vancouver

[Kari-Lynn's] energy and enthusiasm were infectious. Her creativity and dedication to the craft of children’s literature were inspiring. And I really appreciated her patience and graciousness with the organizers and the children alike.

Raymond Nakamura, Ph.D., President, Dunbar Memorial Preschool, Vancouver

A teacher workshop with Kari-Lynn Winters is lively, fun, and full of fresh ideas. I have left her workshops with many strategies to support my students’ literacy through storybooks, drama, and games. She demonstrates how a teacher can make children active participants in classroom literacy experiences. I am so glad that Kari introduced me to her delightful children’s book Jeffrey and Sloth. This humorous story highlights our power to create wonderful stories with our drawings and writing. It is a must have book for any early childhood or primary classroom. I highly recommend her teacher workshop to any school, and would love to have her back at mine.

David Johnson, Teacher, Ivy Montessori School, Vancouver

One of our best author visits!

Becky Pendleton, Teacher-librarian, Ferris Elementary, Richmond, BC